Photographic apparatus



May 28, 1940. J. G. MORGAN PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed nay 18. 195g" FIG. 5.

INVENTOR Jose/Uk G. foz'gan Pm HTTORNEYS Patented May 28, 1940 UNITED STATES iBATENT OFFlCE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to photographic apparatus and has for an object to provide a single apparatus which may be used for four diierent operations, namely, as a. camera, as an enlarger,

as a printery and as a copying machine.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts which will be inexpensive to manufacture and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood l5 that various modications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of 0 this specification,

Figure l is a side elevation of photographic apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a iront elevation of the apparatus showing the shutter, and nlm holder in the camera slide.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation oi the apparatus showing the plug connection for the ruby bulb and the switch for the white bulb.

: Figure 4 is a top plan View of the apparatus showing the twobulbs, the hinged door, and the opening to receive the film holder.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus with the bellows extended its full length.

Figure 6 a :front elevation of the iilm holder and its ground glass.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional View of the iilin holder shown in Figure 6.

,L0 Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional View of the iilrn holder, drawn to enlarged scale and showing the cardboard slides and iilrns therein.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, 4 designates the bottom of a casing. Froin the rear end of the casing spaced back walls 2 and rise vertically and extend to vertical side walls i which extend below the bottom fl and are provided with longitudinal grooves 5g 33, the walls of which coast with the bottom to forni' guides for a. plate 2l for adjusting a bellows 23 longitudinally toward and away from the back of the casing.

The bellows is secured at the rear end to a 55 frame 22 which is spaced rearwardly from the open front end of the casing a suicient distance to permit the bellows to be collapsed into this space. The iront end of the bellows is secured to a frame 2d which is mounted upon the rear face of a vertically disposed plate 25 which forms 5 a support for a conventional lens and shutter mechanism 2t.

Film holder guide frames l5 are secured to the sides, bottoni and top 5 of the casing, as best shown in Figure 5. The top of the casing eX- v10 tends from the open front thereof to just in rear of the guides l5.

A lid tl is hinged to the rear edge of the top 5 of the casing through the medium ofA a hinge 9 and is provided with a handle i0. A pair of 15 strips i3 are secured to the innei' faces of the side walls i and coact with a transversely disposed strip il in forming a support for a horizontally disposed glass pane I4, the purpose of which will presently be explained. The lid 8 and 20 pane ifi form a Contact printing frame.

The side walls i oi the casing are cut away obliquely at the rear end to a transversely disposed strip which closes the top of the space between the two back walls 2 and 3. A pair of 25 obliquely inclined strips l2 are secured to the side walls below and parallel with the obliquely disposed top edges of the side walls and extend from the transversely disposed strip ll to the upper portion of the inner back wall 3 of the `30 casing. These strips support a removable lid I which is equipped with a handle I0. When the lid is removed the photographer, with a black cloth over his head, may look at the ground glass 29 of a film holder, later described, to focus *35 the camera.

As best shown in Figure 3, a plug connector 2l is secured to the outermost back wall 2 and is connected to the socket, not shown, of a small ruby bulb 2li which projects through the inner 0 back wall 3 as best shown in Figure 4. As best shown in Figure l, a white bulb I8 projects through the inner back wall laterally of the ruby bulb 2li and is screwed into a socket Il carried by the outer back wall 2. A switch I9 is secured to the outer back wall 2 and is connected in circuit with the white bulb I8 to control this bulb independently of the ruby bulb, which latter is used at all times to permit the photographer to observe what he is doing. The white bulb is used to project light for printing and enlarging purposes, as will presently be explained.

A reflector it is provided with a rear portion extending at an angle oi about 30 to the bottom 55 4 of the casing for reflecting light rays forwardly. The reflector extends along the bottom oi the casing forwardly of the bulb iii and then is directed upwardly against the inner side of the lower portion of the film holder guide l5.

As best shown in Figures 6, 'I and 8, a film holder 28 is slidably mounted in an opening 352, best shown in Figure 5, between film holder guides l5 disposed in the casing at the rear end of the bellows. The nlm holder is equipped with two grooves 3d to receive cardboard slides 3l, shown best in Figure 2, to protect films or plates from the light. In the center of the film holder a ground glass 29 is mounted. Grooves 5d and 5l are formed in the film holder between the cardboard slides il and the ground glass 2li, and are of suflicient size to permit insertion of a plate or a lm 5?. against the glass back of the slides. The upper grooves 5d are deeper than the lower grooves 5l to permit the plate or film to be raisedup in the upper grooves and dropped I into the lower grooves.

A ground glass 53 is removably mounted in guides 54 in the casing, near the bulb i8, to diffuse the light rays from the bulb when using the apparatus for the purpose of enlarging and printing.

The outer back wall 2 of the casing is removably secured in place through the medium of screws 34 to permit inspection and repairs of the electrical connections.

In using the apparatus as a studio camera, the casing is placed on a stand or table facing the object to be snapped. The slanting lid "il is then removed from the top of the camera. Then an empty film holder is placed in the opening 32 in the top of the camera. The shutter is then opened. The photographer, with a black. cloth over his head and over the back. of the camera, looks through the sight opening unsealed by the removed lid l, and focuses the picture to be taken on the ground glass of the lm holder by adjusting the bellows back and forth until the image is sharp, although upside down. Then the film holder is removed and replaced with a loaded holder. Then the shutter is closed and the front cardboard slide removed from the holder. The picture is then snapped and the cardboard slide is again replaced before the holder is removed.

To use the apparatus for copying, a snapshot or a photo is placed on the studio wall or other support in the direct rays of reflected light. The camera is then used as is described in the preceding paragraphs.

To use the apparatus as an enlarging machine, the negative is placed in front of the ground glass in the lm holder. Then both cardboard slides are removed from the holder and the holder is placed in the opening 32 between the lm holder guides l5. The shutter is then opened using the largest diaphragm opening. The imis then thrown on a white wall or screen by sliding the bellows back and forth. When an image of the desired size is secured, the bromide paper is placed in a holder on the wall where the image appeared and the diaphragm opening is adjusted to produce a sharp image. Then an exposure ol at least Ll5 seconds may be made while using a white enlarging bulb I8 in the camera.

To use the device as a printer, the enlarging bulb is replaced with a white Bil-watt bulb. The current supply wires are then plugged in the ruby bulb 2li, the latter giving a safe light to permit the photographer placing a negative on top of the glass if@ after the lid S is rocked open. Then the printing paper is placed on top of the negative, using a mask, if desired, and then the lid 8 is closed down tight. An exposure of about 5 seconds, using the Sil-watt bulb, is usually suicient.

When the apparatus iskused for enlarging and printing, the ground glass 53 is disposed in the guides 54 but at other times it is removed. The ground glass is more opaque at the central portion than at the edged portions to diffuse light uniformly.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

Photographic apparatus comprising a casing open at the front end, film holder guides disposed in the casing rearwardly of the open front thereof, a bellows support slidably secured to they casing, a bellows carried by the support and collapsible into the open front end of the casing, a lens and shutter mechanism carried by said support, a film holder supported by the guides and having a ground glass, a ruby light in the casing, a switch on the casing, a white light in the casing in circuit with the ruby light and controlled by said switch, a reflector in the casing extending along the bottom wall and rear face of the film holder guides, said reflector having a rear portion extending at an angle of about 30 to the axis of the casing and the bellows, and a removable lid closing a sight opening in the rear upper end of the casing to permit the ground glass of the film holder being viewed for focusing.

JOSEPH G. MORGAN. 

